Page 70 of Moonshot

Moving my attention from Allison to Ava, the relief is evident. Her shoulders are more relaxed. There’s a lift to her smile that’s genuine. It’s a prayer answered, that’s for sure.

“Thank you, Allison. I was just so worried about her having to return to that… well, negative environment. She works too hard to have to deal with such unprofessional behavior.”

“You’re absolutely right. And as fate has it, a replacement is already waiting in the wings.”

“Really? Already?” Ava asks, seeming stunned.

“It’s going to take a while for hospital credentialing to go through, but we have an orthopedic surgeon from another facility who’d like to move to St. Luke’s.”

“He’s already with Central Ortho?” Ava asks.

“Yes. I’m not at liberty to divulge details yet. But I can safely say you shouldn’t have any issues if he comes on board.”

“Well, I’d say there’s a lot to celebrate.” Ava’s mom claps again. She and Ava exchange loving glances, and it warms my heart. I can’t wait to have both of them over to the house to meet my family. I know I might be moving fast, but that damn thirty-day sentence is over. Fuck going slow.

Ava

It’s odd having so much downtime. Sure, my weekends aren’t typically over-scheduled. I tend to do most of my housekeeping and grocery shopping during this time. But this…

Sitting on the couch with Mick, my legs in his lap, rubbing my feet as we watch baseball on ESPN, I feel like I’m in a dream. Who would’ve imagined how different things could be in a span of a few short weeks?

Since being discharged from the hospital a few days ago, Mick has barely left my side. He still has to be out of town two days a week, but he feels comfortable knowing my mother drops in and makes sure to send text updates to let him know I’m not overdoing it. Yes, she sends him texts. Maybe Carson was right. I might need to watch her.

Looking about my small space, I have to laugh at the number of flowers here. They aren’t all from Mick. But when word caught on about the special floral shop Mick had found that created bouquets of minimally fragrant flowers, Eve, Carson, and the office had each sent a different one. The newest bunch was an all-white bouquet of Star of Bethlehem. They’re just stunning. Tuesday Palmer, a floral designer at Cygnature Blooms, made the delivery personally. She said she’d had such fun creating different sprays of flowers with little to no scent, she wanted to meet the recipient. I guess it’s not a common request.

“Babe? I need to talk to you about something.”

Wow, this sounds ominous. “Sure, what?”

“Are you sure you’re doing all you can with your migraines? To prevent them, I mean. Maybe you should try a different neurologist. Just to get another opinion.”

“You know, it’s funny you say that. Dr. Lee mentioned I should consider seeing a friend of his.”

His brow arches and he gives me a deadpan stare.

“What?”

“I’m wondering what kind of friend he’s sending you to. If he looks anything like Dr. Lee…”

“He referred me to Kendal Kramer.She’sa neuropsychiatrist who specializes in holistic medicine.”

“Ah.” He smiles, seeming relieved more about the gender of the physician than her scope of practice. “Not a bad idea. I’ll support whatever plan you come up with, but we’ve got to get them under better control.”

“I’ve been managing for years, Mick.”

“Maybe you can live with the way you’ve been managing them, but I can’t. I can’t watch you continue to suffer like this if there’s anything else that can be done.”

Reaching for his hand, I grab it and give it a squeeze. “I love you, Mick.”

He pulls my fingertips to his lips and gives them a sweet peck.

Using my foot to teasingly rub my toes over his semihard cock, I give him a come-hither look.

“Ava,” he scolds.

“What? Come on. I’ll be fine,” I plead.

“It’s too soon. And you forget. I’ve seen you come. It’s the most erotic show in town but too powerful to risk the effect it will have on you until you’re better.”

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